Sections

Hinchcliffe taken to hospital after wreck at Indy 500 practice

James Hinchcliffe hits the wall in the third turn during practice for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Monday. (Jimmy Dawson/AP)

The Associated Press

Published: May 18, 2015 - 2:56 PM

INDIANAPOLIS — Canadian IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe was taken to a hospital after crashing his car into the wall Monday — the fourth frightening wreck at practice for the Indianapolis 500.

The driver from Oakville, Ont., slammed into the wall going into turn three at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. His car briefly slid on its right side before coming came to rest upright.

There was no immediate word on his condition.

Helio Castroneves and Josef Newgarden went airborne in crashes last week that raised concerns about the safety of the new oval aero kits. And on Sunday, Ed Carpenter flipped his car on its side in practice leading up to Indy 500 qualifying before IndyCar officials announced changes to reduce power and speeds.

The 99th running of the showcase race on the IndyCar schedule is Sunday.